Adam and Eve ate from the fruit of the tree of good and evil. They had chosen to disobey God and had broken their relationship. As a result, God pronounced punishment on the serpent and both the man and woman. At the same time, He also provided a promised hope that, while the serpent would bruise the heel of the woman’s offspring, he would ultimately crush the head of the serpent (Genesis 3:15). This is the promise that Jesus will one day come as Savior of the World! The broken relationship between man and God will be fixed.
Bible: Read Genesis 3 with your family.
Family Activity 1:
Teaching Time: 15 minutes
Materials: Objects that are broken and tools that can repair them. Use the suggested items or others of your choice: sheet of paper ripped in half/scotch tape; clothing with a hole or rip/needle and thread; chipped or cracked plate, cup, vase/super glue; battery operated toy/batteries.
Spread out the items and tools in separate piles on a table or on the floor. Show how each item has been broken or torn. Let the children match each broken object with the best tool to fix it.
Discuss:
- What would happen if you tried to fix the broken glass with the needle and thread? What would happen if you tried to repair the hole in the clothes with scotch tape?
- Think about the Bible passage we read. What was broken between God and Adam and Eve? God knew the best way to fix the broken relationship.
Family Activity 2:
Teaching Time: first day, 15 minutes; second day, 15 minutes
Materials: simple puzzle with 20 pieces or fewer, envelope and stamps, paper and markers to make a sign
Without your children’s knowledge, remove one piece from the puzzle. Put it in an envelope, address the envelope to your children, and mail it. Later that day, do the puzzle together and discover that one piece is missing. Promise your children that the missing piece is coming, but do not tell them how or when. Make a sign that says “It’s Coming” and place it in a prominent place in your home. When the puzzle piece arrives in the mail, allow the children to open the envelope. Complete the puzzle. Then celebrate together.
Discuss:
- Who did God promise would be coming to eventually crush Satan’s power? (see Genesis 3:15) Did Adam and Eve know when or how this promise would be fulfilled? Throughout the Old Testament, God gave His people a fuller picture of what this Savior would be like.
- Who did God send as the final missing piece of the puzzle? How did Jesus restore the broken relationship between God and His people? (Romans 5:10)
Pray:
Many people in our world today do not know about God’s promise to Adam and Eve or its fulfillment. Pray that they will hear about Jesus, the only one who can restore their broken relationship with God.
